


Always on the Run

by CaiusG



Series: Ralph Hawke – The Rise of a Blood Mage [3]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 05:43:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18959056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaiusG/pseuds/CaiusG
Summary: "Bethy shook the ground. It was funny. I also tried, but I couldn't. Can you do that? You'll teach me too?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WIP, incomplete.

**9.21 Dragon – Amarantine**

It was morning. The sunlight was filtering through the gaps of the old barn’s rotten wall.

_"The Templar unhesitatingly lifted his sword: 'now you will die, wicked witch!' Yelled._

_And then the Witch of the Wild called the force of nature and shook the ground under Templar's feet, and the earth opened to bury her attacker"._ Bethany raised her hand, closed her eyes as she focuses.

It was her favourite tale - she knew every word by heart and imagined a thousand times, how it happened. Focused. And suddenly she felt...

_*_

Ralph just fell asleep finally. He practised until evening, then fell in his bed... and started to read… just a bit... Eh... he shouldn't have to search for his father's books and notes! They were too interesting to stop reading. And some of those he simply must had to try. They were complicated spells. And he read and practised until the candle has gone out, and his mind exhausted. ... His eyes were burning, his head exploding. For hours only just restlessly tossed and turned in the bed, and muttered senselessly. It didn't happen for the first time, but nightmares were regular again.

_"Do you want it, don't you? I can easily give you whatever you want. You're gonna be strong. Nobody dares to touch you. I know you want it. The little boy ... remember? The fear ... You'll never feel it. You'll be powerful. Now. You don't even have to ask for it, just accept my offer."_

The sound was sharp. Tempting. His own voice? Ralph shivered.

 _"Don't listen to it! You don't need it. You are brave, you are capable of anything. You don't need it! You can earn what do you want, without it. You're your own, never forget!"_ This voice was reassuring. Protective. Sober. As his father's voice...

 _"But... why not? Why I have to learn for years if I can have the knowledge now?"_ Asked.

 _"Smart boy,"_ he heard again. _"This is your way, I will remove all obstacles. You want it. I feel. I felt it always. I was with you. Always. The little boy enjoyed the power, and the strong young man, whom I see now, still enjoys the power. That's why you're here, isn't it? You want it!"_

 _"You don't want that!"_ The other voice was thundering.

Ralph's anger accumulated and swept away every voice. _"Enough! I know what I want!"_ Yelled. His hand fisted.

Suddenly everything became silent. He finally calmed down.

*

_“Mother, brother, come here! Fast!”_

Ralph woke up. Carver...

 _“Fuck, you idiot little...”_ Ralph hissed when he wiped the dream out of his eyes and slowly climbed out of bed. _“I'd bet just a damned spider.”_ Sighed. _“I’m coming”,_ answered loudly, and reluctantly started.

As he approached the old barn, where Beth and Carver usually played, and suddenly... as if he heard Bethany's sobbing. _“I’ll rip your stupid head, if you did something to Bethy!”_

And then it came Leandra's scared scream.

He started to run. _“Bethy, Carver!”_ Yelled. His tiredness suddenly eliminated, just like his anger. Just ran… and suddenly noticed the crack on the ground under his feet. The weak building’s door slightly tilted.

Bethany sobbed in the corner, Leandra trying to reassure her while seems she was frightened just like her little daughter.  

Carver ran to him. _“Bethy moved the ground. It was funny. I also tried, but I couldn't. Can you do that? You'll teach me too?”_ He was excited.

 _“Go now, I have to calm Bethany,”_ said Ralph, absently patted his head, and headed towards Bethany.

 _“But..., please, brother, Mother with her…”_ Carver didn’t let him go.

Ralph snapped impatient and threateningly. _“I said go!”_ Then he added softer: _“Later.”_

 _“Mom, go away now, please. Beth, what happened?”_ He said and bent down to the frightened girl.

Bethany looked at him with crying eyes and showed her hand. _“I hurt Carver… I almost... Accidentally. I don’t understand. What happened to me? My hands, I just raised them and… I can’t remember...”_ She sobbed again.

Ralph took her hands in his hands and with a serious face, examined them, then looked at Bethany. _“They're a little dirty. But there's nothing wrong with them.”_ He smiled. _“I can teach you how to make a bigger earthquake. This is just... hey, this ugly, rusty building hasn't even collapsed!”_

Leandra wrung her hands and looked reproachfully at his son. _“Ralph, don't scare your sister even better, you don't see...”_ but suddenly silenced.

Bethany smiled faintly.

Ralph turned to Leandra. His tone was serious and categorical. _“We have to move. As quickly as we can.”_

_“We can’t just move… your father…”_

_“Mother, leave a message to him! We can't stay, you know too.”_

Leandra knew her son was right. Sighed. Running ... dread ... secreting! And another mage whom she should worry about... her little beautiful daughter! She imagined a better life for her… And Malcolm is not here… And Ralph… She loved him… of course, she loved, with all her motherly love, but she didn't deny it: she was afraid of him. Since... since happened... that accident. His eyes! But now just looked at Ralph, as he took his Bethany's hand, and calmed her – as if nothing had happened, and as he declared with almost cruel determination, they have to move. He didn't hesitate for a minute. Just like his father. When did he grow up? ... _“Magic… Maker, that...  magic! It will never end!”_ Whispered. Not quietly enough.

 _"Did you regret, mother?"_ Hissed. _"Leaving the estate… the run… did you regret us… father... me… and Bethy?"_ Ralph’s voice was quiet, calm, but bitter, and his eyes flashed as ice. Then looked at Bethany and hoped she didn't hear... Fuck!... _“Come, Sunny, it will be fun, I promise!”_

They went quietly to the house. Carver followed them from afar. Alone.


	2. Chapter 2

At the house, Leandra stopped Ralph. _“Son, a moment.”_

_“I do not have t---”_

_“Come, now. Please.”_

Ralph reluctantly left Bethany. _“I'll be back soon, and teach you some fun tricks. Until that, try to not cause any disasters!”_

Bethany’s eyes were wide open as she whispered: _“I… I can’t... I’ll no---”_

Her brother bent down to her again: _“I know, It was a joke, sorry, Sunny”_ Smiled, and patted his little sister’s head. Bethany smiled back. 

Then Ralph turned to Leandra: _“Fine.”_ murmured and followed his mother to the basement.

As they stepped to Malcolm’s workroom, the familiar scent of old books, elfroot and mushroom, filled Ralph's nose. He felt his father's presence in the room, which strengthened him. Leandra closed the door after them. _“Why are you so hostile, I'm just worried about her ... and about you, and all of us. Ralph, what are you going to do now?”_

_"Let's see, at first, I try to reassure Bethany, as soon as you let me go... and later, help you to pack up.  We should move, before someone realizes, what happened here. I know, and you also know."_

_"I'm not sure someone saw it..."_

_"But we don't want to risk it ... right, mother?"_ His voice was more commanding than questioning. He looked around. _“This room must be emptied,”_ added, and looked into Leandra’s eyes. _“But you know better than me...”_ smiled at her, and left the room and his astonished mother.

*

When he opened the door, Ralph found Beth crouched on her bed. Sobbing shook her shoulder. _“Hey, we agreed you weren't crying. This is a gift.”_

The little girl raised her head slowly and looked up to her brother. _“I… I tried, but I remembered when ... after the sermon... old Agatha, you know, spoke about it's a curse... the demons…,”_ she spoke incoherently, tears flowed down her face. _“And now, I know it was not just a dream… not like a normal dream… the demon was… real… How…? Why did it happen to me…? What will happen to me?”_

Ralph was serious, forcing Bethany to look into his eyes. _“Listen to me, Sunny! The spirits, the demons are real. And the Fade, where dreams come from. Our connection to the land of the dreams is stronger than the others’. We are able to speak with the inhabitants of dreams. It's scary, I know. But not curse. It's a gift. Don't fear them – but be careful! Always. They can trick us. But you're smart and strong, trust yourself!"_

Ralph was a little  worried that he was too  intimidating, almost regret what he said, but to his surprise, Bethany looked at him in amazement.

_"That sounds funny. Why they want to trick us?"_

But Ralph didn't smile as Bethany expected. The girl's heart tightened as she waited for an answer.

 _“Just be careful, Sunny, I didn't come to scare you, but their tricks are rarely fun.”_ Seeing Bethany's face he spread his hands. _“Well, not that’s the funny part of our gift, but I can show you that part”,_ Ralph said with a smile, then became serious again, and added. _“What is very important now: they can offer help, power, protection – but those are lies. Don’t let them fool you! The price is bigger than the offering. And the abominations rarely attractive…”_

 _“Then it is a curse – how can be a gift? I almost… hurt Carver… I didn’t want it… what if it happens again? And what if the demons are smarter than me?”_ Bethany looked at Ralph in fear but still with hope and curiosity in her eyes.

_“Don’t be afraid, it will not happen anymore. You’ll learn how it works, as I learned, and I will help you in it, as father helped to me, and he will teach you too when he came home. Until, you have only me. I may not be that great as he is, yet, but much more fun, I promise you!”_

The curiosity finally defeated the fear. _“What happened to you? Weren't you scared? Ah, you are never afraid of anything. You are as strong as the father.”_

Ralph avoided Bethany's gaze. He silenced for a moment, then when he spoke, he only said, _"No ... not really ... I'll tell you once, now is not the time for the stories ..."_ He looked at Bethany again and continued with a wide smile on his face: _“Now, I'll show something you'll like!"_

Ralph reached out his hand, closed his eyes, concentrating. And then a pebble appeared in his palm, followed by another, and more. The pebbles slowly rose and began to swirl, then swam in the air towards Bethany. They danced around her, then suddenly disappeared at Ralph's gesture.

Bethany watched with amazement. _"How did you do it? There is not even a little stone!"_ She whispered. 

 _“I promised, I’ll show you something fun!”_ Ralph winked. _“There are pebbles, everywhere around us, and flames, ice… storm, if you want. You just have to ask for it – and the Fade will give you. But watch to the control! Tell me, Sunny, how it happened, when you shook the ground?”_

 _„I don’t know.”_ Bethany closed her eyes, trying to remember. _“I just played the story of the Witch of the Wilds… Carver was a Templar…” She opened her eyes and looked at Ralph. “You know, he always wants to be a Templar... but a good one… Brother, the Templars are good? As the tales in the Chantry tell? But then why should we hide from them?” ---_

 _“Beth, the Templars are…”_ Ralph’s hand cletched, but continued calmly. _“Next time, okay? It’s good enough, that they’re not our friend… or maybe, one, two, Father spoke to me about one… but listen to me: never trust them…" And now try to tell me everything, that’s important.”_

_“… I closed my eyes, and tried to imagine..., and suddenly everything became too real. Like I was there… and it happened… I don’t know how. I was in the Fade? Did I dream? Can we do anything, get anything out of the realm of dreams?”_

_“Slow down, Sunny… good questions... But I don’t know the answers. Perhaps the father knows more about it, perhaps even he doesn’t know… perhaps the scholars… or nobody…  The Fade keeps its secret, but from time to time, shares the power with us. This is our gift.”_ Ralph paused for a moment, then added: _“At least as father told me.”_

_“Tell me more about it!”_

_“Another time, Bethy, Mother needs my help in packing up. We should move, you know.”_

Bethany lowered her head, and asked quietly: _“Yes… the Templars… Because of me, right?”_

Her brother walked up to her, held her head with his two hands and gently forced the little girl to look into her eyes. He said seriously and firmly. _“No. We have to leave because of the people. Because of the old wicked crows who talk nonsense about us to scare the kids with us. Never listen to them! Listen to me, to father ... You're good-hearted. Gifted, not cursed! Remember: It's not your fault that we have to go! Blame people’s ignorance! And never trust in that wicked crows in the Chantry...! Don’t listen to them!”_ Cold fire flashed in his eyes, he turned away suddenly –"I'm a fucking idiot!"– he thought, and when he looked back at his sister, Ralph was smiling and took the little girl’s hands. _“You’re the best sister, nobody could wish better! Now try to relax a bit. I will be back soon. Just call me, I'm always here for you and I'll protect you – from everything!”_ He added and left the room to find his mother.


	3. Chapter 3

Ralph stepped out of the house door and saw Carver. The boy sat on a stump, and poke at the ground with a twig. He lifted his head and looked at him. Then resignedly turned back to the twig and the ground as if that was important. 

The blonde kid picked up his old wooden sword and went to the boy. He sat down next to him. _“Sorry, brother, I can’t teach you to use magic, it’s impossible, but I can show you some good moves with a sword! Let's see, are you ready for the lesson?”_

 _“Perhaps I can be a mage too, like father, you and Bethy...?”_ Carver asked from his foots.

 _“Perhaps… who knows? But now, show me something, warrior!”_ Ralph stood up and raised his sword.

Carver looked at him, and sprung up. _“I’m a Templar, defend yourself!”_

Ralph leaned against his sword and declared. _“You can't be Templar.”_

 _“Why not?”_ Carver looked disappointed.

_“This is the rule.”_

_“Why? I've never heard of this rule.”_

_“Because this is my rule. And because I’ll kick your ass...”_

_“I hate you!”_ hissed Carver.  The younger boy thought for a moment and then shrugged. _“Then I'll be Grey Warden. They have gryphons. The gryphons are better than your dog.”_

 _"I hear you correctly, Warden? Did you mention my dog? Defend yourself!"_ Ralph raised his wood sword and started the attack. 

_Carver blocked the attack and retaliated._

_“Not bad at all”_ thought Ralph. _“ One day you’ll be a good fighter…”_ he said with appreciation. _"But until then, come!  Strike again!"_

The sparring began. The mabari rushed towards them, happily bounced between them.

*

 _“It is not fair! I can't beat you. You’re bigger and older!”_ Carver folded his arms and turned away with a huff.

Ralph went to him, put his hand on Carver’s shoulder, and looked into his eyes. _“You would have preferred if I let you win? I don’t think so! I hope, you’re not like that!”_

_“No! I… I just… once I’ll be better than you!”_

Ralph laughed. _"You can try! And one day … perhaps… you’ll have a little chance..."_

_“A Templar can beat a mage! And your stupid ‘rules’ will not prevent me!”_

_“Forget it! A Templar will never defeat me!”_

_“They can fight against the mages. I heard in the sermon… you weren't there. You always try to get away! ... True, this is boring, but now, the Mother said, Andraste fought against the mages, to protect people, just like the Templars._

Ralph looked at him questioningly. Carver thought and continued.

_“But father... and you… and now Bethy…”_

_“Look, Adraste fought against the Magisters – to free people, who were their slave, not the mages. However, the Templars, use her name, to justify their fight against us. But we’re not Magisters. Can you keep a secret?”_

Carver nodded. Of course, he can! His brother never asked him for it. He was excited!

 _“Eh, forget it!”_ Ralph shrugged.

_“I knew you were just kidding me. I hate you!”_

_“So… what about if… Andraste was a mage?”_

_“You really fooled me!”_ Carver huffed and turned his back to Ralph. _“I'm not talking to you anymore.”_

_“You don’t have to speak, just defend yourself!”_

Carver stared at him, then smiled slowly and continued to fight.

*

 _"Ralph, son! Where are you?"_ Leandra ran out into the yard and saw her two sons playing. Her heart warmed, a smile ran through her face. She was grateful as she watched them – and wished it could always be that way. But she knew that calm moment just rare... an illusion. She knew when she left the estate, her heritage – for an apostate. She always knew it will not be easy... but did she _really_ know? 

She shook her head. Ralph is right. They haven’t much time ... but then why he doesn't come to help? Eh, he's a kid after all. Big, strong and smart, almost adult... yet... only a kid.

 _“C’mon son, you promised…”,_   Leandra shouted.

 _“I'm coming, mother!”_ Ralph replied almost immediately, and to Leandra's surprise, without debate, and turned to Carver: _“C’mon, Warden, the garrison moves!”_


End file.
